SABAH
PAS SAYS MANY WORKING ILLEGALLYKOTA
KINABALU: PAS Sabah hailed the disclosure by Sabah
Immigration Department on the drop in the number of
foreign workers employed in the various sectors in the
State. Its Sabah Deputy Chief Hamzah Haji Abdullah said
although it might be true on paper that there was no
increase in the number of new foreign workers, he claimed
there is an increase in the number of illegal workers
especially those badly needed in the plywood and veneer
factories.

"It is not that hard
to prove this claim as one only just need to visit these
factories located in the Jalan Batu Sapi and Seguntor
area to see the large numbers of workers without any
valid documents and work permits or possessing fake ICs,"
he claimed in a statement Tuesday.

"The employers were
not bothered to ask or to check the status of the
documents produced by these workers at the initial stage
of their employment. But when these workers were involved
in accident in the factory premises during working hours,
the employers would then act harshly and even intimidate
their workers if they proceed to make insurance claims or
compensation.

He noted that employers
were on the advantage position by hiring illegal workers
as they were only paid for between RM7-RM12 for a 12-hour
period of work. "They were also not paid for their
EPF contribution despite their employment record showing
they have blue IC numbers. Unless and until there exist
Immigration personnel that are strict in the
implementation of the Immigration laws, employers will
continue to flout the laws and the problem of hiring
illegal workers will worsen and will never end," he
suggested.